MH-Pen: A Pen-Type Multi-Mode Haptic Interface for Touch Screens Interaction

IEEE Trans Haptics. 2018 Oct-Dec;11(4):555-567. doi: 10.1109/TOH.2018.2826551. Epub 2018 Apr 13.

Abstract

Touch screen technology supplies a new approach to interact with virtual environments. For haptic interaction on a touch screen, haptic devices that are capable of simultaneously conveying tactile and force information to users are highly desired for enhancing the sense of reality and immersion. To this end, a prototype haptic interface, called MH-Pen, was developed and fabricated to display the virtual interactive information through multi-mode haptic feedback. The MH-Pen is a self-contained system that provides vibrotactile feedback and precise force feedback by integrating three types of actuators. In this paper, MH-Pen's design, specifications, and working principle are described. Subsequently, to accurately display the interaction force, a hybrid actuator was designed by combining a piston-type magnetorheological (MR) actuator and a voice coil motor (VCM), and a closed-loop control scheme was built to manage the hybrid actuator. Finally, we objectively and subjectively evaluated the force feedback performance and the effect of multi-mode haptic display of the MH-Pen through physical measurements and psychophysical experiments of virtual surface stiffness display. The results show that improving the precision of force feedback and using multi-mode haptic display are both useful and necessary to enhance the sense of human-computer interaction realism.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Equipment Design*
  • Feedback, Sensory / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Man-Machine Systems*
  • Touch Perception / physiology*
  • User-Computer Interface*